


Always An Arm's Length Apart

by UglySandwich



Series: Arm's Length Apart Series [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Don't Read This, F/F, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Lesbians in Space, This Is STUPID
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-10-27 04:03:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10801293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UglySandwich/pseuds/UglySandwich
Summary: Homeworld still whispers about the infamous Ruby and Sapphire duo. What they have- love, that is- is unnatural and disgusting, especially to the home planet's last Sapphire... Until she falls for a Ruby herself. The two must keep their new affection a secret, but with their Diamonds watching them, will they succeed? Part one of a trilogy.





	1. Footrest

**Author's Note:**

> This story will contain a lot of lore and theories that I believe to be canon- if some detail comes out later in the show that conflicts with this fic, too bad, I'm not changing it.
> 
> So without further ado... Here, just take it.

Rrrring!

A delicate dark blue Pearl peeked her head in from the dimly lit hall when she heard her bell. Her face was enshrouded by waves of aqua hair, but her master could still hear her when she called out, “Yes, Sapphire?”

“Hello Pearl. Will you bring me a footrest?” Sapphire asked, perched atop an ornate blue velvet throne. “Something thicker than last time. My feet kept slipping off of it.”

“Yes, Sapphire.” The little Pearl turned around, and on her back were two Sapphire sized footprints.

“I told Pearl to take a bath, or at least reform. She looks silly, yes?”

A Tiger’s Eye, silent from the fear of execution should she say something wrong, simply nodded. She continued filing the princess’ nails, never daring to make eye contact.

The silence bothered Sapphire. Her eye twitched and she pursed her lips, searching around the room to find something else to talk about. “So that painting… It’s an original Moonstone. Yes, THE moonstone.”

Tiger looked up from her mistress’ nails and gazed upon the painting of Blue Diamond and the aristocrat. How narcissistic. “You must be her favorite,” She said politely. Sapphire was nobody’s favorite, however.

The rare gem had done nothing to earn her luxurious treatment. She was just rare- in fact, she was the last of her kind. In order to make more and recover for the ones they lost in the war, they’d have to harvest some of the elite. This wouldn’t go over well, obviously, so until they could make synthetic gems, Sapphire would always be the only one.

To make up for her eons of isolation, Blue Diamond gifted her with servants and stylists and lavish mansions- even her own colony. It made for a very cushy and safe lifestyle. Guards were everywhere around the palace as well; and for a while, the blue gem didn’t feel so alone. But as time went on, she found that gems liked her less and less. Maybe her servants were tired, or maybe there was an overwhelming urge to rebel or deflect to Earth.

“Sapphire, I found a volunteer. A Ruby expressed a desire to do anything as long as it got her away from her fleet for a while.” 

The Pearl’s voice was a welcomed intrusion to Sapphire’s depressing thoughts, and she smiled. “Bring her in. And Pearl? Please use my private bath. I’m tired of looking at my footprints on you, and I’m beginning to suspect that Topaz didn’t install a plumbing system in your quarters like I insisted.”

Though she didn’t need it, Sapphire enjoyed the hobbies and mannerisms of other alien species. Anything that took up her time, be it bathing or exercise, she enjoyed. The blue gem was also a linguist, which came in handy when shopping for goods on other planets.

As the lithe blue Pearl scurried down the hall to the bathroom, Ruby approached her silently and kneeled at her feet.

“Quiet, are we?” Sapphire asked. Nobody talked to her anymore, and that made her a little more on edge. “Why did you wish to escape your group?”

After what seemed like an eon of white noise from the bathtub and the scraping of the nail file, Ruby answered, “They’re all hyped over Earth. We met that Garnet everyone’s been whispering about. Now all my team can focus on is going back to tear her apart and bring the two home.”

“Serves her right. A Ruby and A Sapphire locked together like that? Unheard of,” the aristocrat commented. She slipped her foot under one of Ruby’s suspenders, playing with it out of boredom. “They should. I heard they stay fused all the time, like common war machines. How filthy! I say we destroy their abilities to fuse. How painful would that be? Forced to be near the object of your obsession, but unable to display that misplaced affection. Must be worse than death.”

Ruby swallowed. Truth be told she’s done it too- the average gem has already discovered the joys of fusion. They have to be careful, though, to avoid being seen. Fusion is punishable by death or life in a Pearl's role, depending on your place in the caste. Still, this wasn’t something she wanted to tell Sapphire. “I know. They deserve to be executed.”

An awkward silence ensued until Pearl returned in a silk robe her master bought from China hundreds of years ago. “Sapphire? I’ve finished with my bath. What should I do now?”

“Come here,” Sapphire waved her over. “I’d like you to pick out a color for my nails.”

Ruby quirked a brow. “Isn’t that a human thing? And can’t you just reform with the color nails you like?”

Her mistress batted her cheek with her foot gently. “Where’s the fun in that? I like the way filing feels, and it’s fun to watch the paint fade.”

“I say you go with the dull orange, since it’s the complimentary color to your gorgeous hue, my Clarity.”

Ruby couldn’t handle all the hypocrisy. She sat up, swinging the princess’ feet off her back. “What’s with you, going along with this craziness?” She snapped at Pearl. “Here you are in a house of novelties from other galaxies, and yet she despises those who created all of this for her. Is this where my tax money is going? In to Sapphire’s plumbing and polish and television? You can’t possibly get Earth channels from here! Why do you even need the screen?”

Sapphire simply tilted her head in amusement. “What else don’t you like?”

“You’re using me as a foot stool! Just get an actual ottoman!” The red gem screeched, throwing her hands in the air. “You’re unbelievable.”

At that point, Tiger was halfway down the hall, and Pearl wasn’t too far behind. Someone was getting blamed for this, and Sapphire would personally rip out their gem and grind it in to dust. Sapphire picked the gem up by her suspenders, staring her down.

“You’re amusing. I like you. You’re going to come back tomorrow when the eighth star sets over this meteor. Isn’t that about a quarter until daybreak on the mainland?”

Ruby squirmed, trying to free herself from Sapphire’s grip. “In all due respect, I find being your footstool extremely uncomfortable and I’d rather not do it again.”

A chuckle escaped those plump blue lips. “Then I’ll get an ottoman, and a chair for you to sit on. Your official job is to be my company, do you understand? Fail, and you’ll be fired… Out of a canon, in to the third star, which will probably melt your gem.”

Seeing that she had no choice, Ruby sighed. “Yes, my Clarity.”

“Yay! Now go back to work and quit your old job.” Sapphire clapped in glee after letting poor Ruby go.

Ruby scuttled out as fast as she could, sweating the whole way. Well, that was a disaster.


	2. The Dress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby gets a makeover, and a new name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Attention: I’m upping this rating to teens and older, because a character changes clothes and ends up naked for a prolonged period. Since nothing sexual happens and the gems’ genitals are hidden until they’re needed, there’s no real adult content.
> 
> So this chapter sprang up quickly! I already have chapters 3 and 4 finished as well, but I’m going to pace myself accordingly and post them later so this lasts. Honestly, this is one of my favorite stories I’ve ever written, and I intend to milk it for all it’s got.
> 
> I thought I’d like to throw out they call the main Homeworld planet Geopia, but they mostly call it things like “the capital” or “homeworld” or “mainland/main planet.” We humans just call it 55 Cancrie e, and it’s made out of solid diamond. Life there is almost like Earth, except with thousands of warp pads, and hundreds of spaceship ports.
> 
> The rest of the galaxy is under Geopia’s reign, but each colony gets to keep its original name. The species living on the planet get to resume their average lives as well, except they pay a hefty tax to Geopia. The Diamonds are rulers and tyrants, but they never destroy a planet that has potential.
> 
> As for the Book that I introduce in this chapter… It’s a tiny ball that projects a holographic computer with mass. Like a hologram iPhone. It’s tiny, and has claws that dig in to the user’s gem. Gems can buy extensions to put in their Books, such as new clothes to phase on (they call them appearance modifiers, and things that are too complicated or not in a gem’s color scheme can’t just be shapeshifted on).
> 
> All of these were relevant to understand this story.

The silent moments sitting next to Sapphire were agony for Ruby. In the amount of time it took for the moon to spin around it’s host planet, she watched eleven different gems come and go, all too busy to even say hello as they passed by, going about their jobs. Maybe this was why the blue gem was so desperate for her attention.

“What do you want to do today, Ruby?” Speak of the devil (Or from Ruby’s prospective, the Devil speaks). The blue gem checked her chipped orange polish, trying to seem nonchalant.

Her company caught how quickly her leg bounced as she tapped her foot against the marble floor. “Maybe we could take a trip to the Capital planet?” Ruby asked, steadying Sapphire’s leg by placing a warm hand on her knee.

“You know? That sounds like a great idea. I could go shopping for a new Book, since mine is broken.” She pulled out a blue, pill shaped projector from her pocket, and squeezed it. From the button came a hologram- one which was supposed to display her name and ID before powering on, but instead displayed a bright SYSTEM ERROR sign.

“Oh fracture. Any idea what’s wrong with it?” Ruby asked, taking the hologram and tilting it to get a closer look. “Nothing’s wrong with the image core, I don’t think. Maybe I can fix it?”

Sapphire beamed, throwing her arms around her red counterpart. “Thank you! I was so dreading having to mess with the settings on a new one, and now I don’t have to. You’re a lifesaver.”

“What?” Ruby guffawed. “Psh. One of my cellmates breaks hers on a daily basis. It’s not a big deal, really!”

The blue gem rolled her eyes. “Fine. Let me treat you then! We’re going to go shopping, and I’ll get you anything you like!”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a-“

“Shh. You’re not a burden! I haven’t been off this rock in ages and I want to have some fun with my friend.” The blue gem giggled, standing up and taking Ruby’s hands. “Let’s go to the fashion district back on the main planet, there’s someone who can help you out with all… This.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “You just gestured to all of me.”

“More or less.”

\-----

“Eeeeee! Sapphy!”

“Alex!”

Ruby stood in front of the duo, mouth agape. Why do the popular gems always scream when they see each other? She raised a hand to quietly interject, “So what are we doing here?” She looked around at all the different clothing and hairstyle holograms, and her best guess had also been her worst nightmare.

The shopowner, an Alexandrite, circled around the smaller gem, inspecting her. “Shorts and suspenders. Let me guess- you only have this and your default outfit? Oh, and that hair!” She lifted a few fluffy strands of it, ‘tsk’ing at the texture. The gem’s skin turned a ‘disgust’ shade of green as she felt up her hairdo.

“Hey, this is in!” Ruby retorted, smoothing her hair back in to place.

“In with the Rubies, I assume? None of them want to change themselves. It’s like they’re fine with who they are.”

The red gem snorted. “Oh, Pink Diamond forbid we feel comfortable,” she shot back, her tone laced with sarcasm.

“That isn’t what she meant,” Sapphire cut in. “She means all of you are so drab. She can’t believe you all don’t try to stand out- individuality is the hallmark of a proud gem. This is why Alexandrite and I only wear one of a kind clothes, because we are one of a kind.”

Ruby cocked an eyebrow. “Sapphire is one of a kind. You’re not,” she pointed to Alexandrite. “I just don’t see why you have to work so hard to show off, especially since you’re not unique in the slightest.”

Alexandrite’s flesh turned from green to a calming blue. It seemed as if this one’s colors flipped faster than the rest- she did seem to wear her emotions on her sleeve. She took the smaller gem’s chin in her hand, looking Ruby dead in the eyes. “Ubie- can I call you Ubie?”

“No.”

“Ruby.” She sighed, kneeling down to her level. “You’re just reciting what someone else told you. We all might look the same on the outside, but we’re all unique. We all have something special about us, even if we have roles to play and niches to fill. Look at you- you’re a Ruby, and now you’re one of us. Isn’t that exciting?”

“I’m only here because the blue one made me quit my job,” Ruby mumbled. Her words were ignored, however.

“Hey, she IS one of us!” Sapphire exclaimed. “She needs an official nickname now that she’s a part of the Elitez. That’s elite with a z, because it’s cool that way.”

The tallest of the three nodded. “Agreed, I love her already! But I just gave her one, why doesn’t she like it?”

“Maybe because it wasn’t a good one. Remember the last time you tried to dish out a name? Emmy crushed your fiber machine.”

“Omicron Snot was a great nickname and you know it!”

“And I’m guessing Hot Legs for Bix was a good one too?”

“Her legs really are hot! She’s my top skirt model!”

As the two continued their playful argument, Ruby sat and watched. She wasn’t anything like these two- she wasn’t catty or playful or funny. She wasn’t proper or pretty either. She was calloused, rough around the edges from doing random dirty jobs. Was she just some charity case? But she couldn’t stop herself when her lips started moving, and she eked out, “Doc. They call me Doc.”

Sapphire clapped in delight. “I like it.”

Alexandrite nodded. “So Doc, phase those frumpy things off so we can get some idea of what flatters your shape.” She tugged at one of the suspenders around her new friend’s shoulder.

It would’ve been unusual for a fire gem to feel frozen, but she did. “Uh, what? I don’t exactly feel comfortable-“

“Oh, come on! We’re all gems here- unless you have something to tell us?” Alexandrite giggled.

Reluctantly, Doc phased off her suspenders and undershirt, and then her shoes and shorts. They were all the same underneath their appearance modifiers, but something in her wanted to hide. She supposed it was just because she felt vulnerable. She’d never been exposed like this, save for the day she was made.

“You have more of a boxy shape. You do have wide hips, though, so maybe a dress with a padded top might help balance it out and give you a curvier look.”

“I don’t get it. Why would I want to have a different shape?” Doc asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

Alexandrite ruffled through a set of measuring tools, sizing up her body and then punching the numbers in to her Book. “Because round shapes say ‘Look at me, I’m putting effort in to my appearance.’ You know? Maybe we can get you in to something classy, but not frilly. You have such lovely arms, but those muscles in puff sleeves would NOT be a good match.”

“You’re biased though, you hate puffs. You wouldn’t even give me puff sleeves after I begged for them,” Sapphire chirped.

“Yeah, because you wanted to look like that Rebel Sapphire! Ugh, you have no idea how many Rebel outfits I sold. Everyone loves the Star Crossed Fusion story, but I didn’t want my best friend associated with that!”

“Oh! Alex, Doc met the rebels once! Tell us about it,” The blue gem said excitedly, sitting on a larger mannequin’s foot.

Doc gulped, rubbing the back of her neck. She realized Alexandrite was too busy altering a holographic skirt to be paying attention, and she relaxed. “Well… We went to Earth looking for Jasper. Instead, we meet some really interesting humans, and a Ruby joined us that I didn’t really recognize. The Ruby and this blue human wouldn’t stop kissing and for a minute, I thought they were going to try something-“ Her face flushed, and she shook her head. “But it turned out the two of them were the rebels, and they fused right in front of us!”

Alexandrite WAS listening. She gagged, and her flesh turned a sickly yellow. “How distasteful. Even fusing with another gem during war is horrendous. All the mismatched patterns and sharing one body? I’d rather shatter myself before I fuse.”

“I agree. To share your mind and your existence with someone else would be… Well, it would be terrifying. I don’t ever want to be vulnerable like that,” Sapphire added.

Doc didn’t dare bring up the fact that she had fused before, but part of a gem isn’t truly alive until she fuses. It’s the way you see the universe from a different perspective, and how you make something so different that makes it so beautiful. It’s learning to walk on new feet, and trusting someone else with all of your secrets. It’s the most intimate connection, aside from mating, and she doesn’t understand why both are banned.

Finally, Alexandrite reached for the little Ruby’s Book projector, and popped it open. “Geez, all your expansion slots are empty. Well, that makes this easier.” She slides a chip in to one of them, and closes the thing up. “Access the dress I just made you by going to the clothes folder, and tap on it.”

Doc poked around her Book for the file. After what seemed like ten minutes of going through unused folders, she found it, and the dress phased itself on in a matter of seconds. “Oh. Hey, this isn’t bad!” She twirled, sending the long, sequin covered gown in to a whirl.

“See? I told you I could help,” Sapphire beamed, wrapping her arms around her Ruby again, all the while ignoring her growling.


	3. Probably The Worst Gem's Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sapphire brings Ruby along on a night out, and things don't go as planned.

Moonga’s Tavern was the place to be on the Mainland when both of the planet’s stars went down. Since work wasn’t an option when it was dark out (Unless you worked in a party hub), the only thing to do was party or spend time alone. Moonga’s was always velvet roped and guarded by a Jasper with a VIP list- and Pink Diamond save you if you tried to sneak in. A Ruby had never been past that rope, until the night Sapphire dragged Doc along for a night with her friends.

“We’re going to stay here until the Stars come up!” Sapphire screamed, pumping her fists in the air.

“How long is that, again?” Doc asked, voice raised over the thumping music. 

There was no universal time for the entire galaxy, so the clairvoyant had to make a guess. “Uh, three rotations back at my place. Right? Right.” To put it in to perspective, it would have lasted a week and a half on Earth.

There were blinding lights, and smoke leaking from every corner of the room. Bodies shoved and swayed, and soon Doc found herself feeling anxious. But Sapphire was pressed against her, so maybe it would be okay.

“Hay,” came a voice from behind Ruby. It was Emmy, the Pro Wrestling Emerald. The tough gem was always wearing her uniform, whether she was in the ring or not. Her purpose was to entertain, why should she stop when she leaves the workplace? At least she took off her gloves before she did anything with her hands.There are two kinds of gems on Geopia: those who dance, and those who don't. Emmy was definitely not a dancer, and she stood still as gems bumped in to her. She looked silly. 

"Hey!" The aristocrat yelled back, tugging the green gem's arm and pulling her in between herself and her companion. Doc wasn't sure she liked this change in position. She felt smothered, and her anxiety worsened when the green gem blocked her from clinging to Sapphire. 

Behind Sapphire came Bix. Almost as a contrast to the other beryl in the group, she was everything feminine and lovely. She was a model- and damn, Alex was right about her having the best legs. Doc’s temperature rose every time those pink stems moved. It’s like they were sculpted by the Diamonds themselves. She didn’t say anything as she wormed her way in to the dance circle, dragging Addy in by the hand.

It seemed as if Addy, the biggest of them all, knew Bix the most. The Adventurine’s green eyes were always drawn to Bixibite, and they were always attached at the hip. Every time the group got together, they were attached at the hip and would always wear matching outfits. If she didn’t know any better, Doc would say they were an item.

How disgusting. Gems didn’t have time for relationships, and they were wrong anyways. But that wasn’t any of her business, right? Besides, herself and Sapphire weren’t so different. They told each other everything. They were always touching and holding hands… As much as Doc wanted to believe their behavior was bad, she couldn’t imagine being without Sapphire now. She needed her.

The last to dance her way over was Alexandrite. She was a menace in rainbows! She constantly used Ruby as a model and dressed her up. But she insisted she did it with all of her friends, and the outfits were free, so maybe it wasn’t so bad.

How could Doc’s life get any stranger after meeting The Elitez? When you’re around your kind nearly all your life, the world tends to feel drab. Rubies were all confused and depressed from centuries of neglect. Doc figured that’s why she felt so uncomfortable standing next to some really vibrant gems.

But Sapphire was there, holding Doc’s hand and guiding her through the unfamiliar scenery. The act was greatly appreciated. She couldn’t see her eye, but she suspected the clairvoyant always had her eye on her. How wonderful it was to have a friend as caring as Sapphire.

A clinking noise brought the red gem back to life. A waitress was placing glasses in all of their hands. It was red, and something Ruby had never seen before. She looked around, and the others seemed to guzzle it down.

“So I just… Put it in my mouth?” Doc asked, lifting the cup and inspecting the contents.

“Yeah. It’s called drinking. You’ve never done that before, have you?” Sapphire asked, chugging half of hers rather quickly. “Ack. It doesn’t taste good, but it feels good later. Come on, bottoms up!”

The Ruby gulped and chugged the entire thing, before gagging and almost throwing up on the floor. The cheers of everyone around her helped her hold it down, however.

“Yow! You go, Ru!” Emerald yelled, giving her small friend an affectionate- but way too rough- pat on the back. “Okay. Now that we’re getting tipsy, let’s REALLY party!”

It seemed as if they did this every time they got together, because everyone had their game face on. Except for Sapphire, who sported her usual poker face.

Now everything was really getting weird. Bodies ground against each other in a way that Ruby wasn’t used to. What was the point of dancing like this? Adventurine and Bixibite were pressed together, with Bix’s backside against Addy’s front. The display looked amorous. Wasn’t it illegal to display affection like this? But what can the authorities do, since these are the richest gems in the galaxy?

“Emerald is too short or too tall to partner up, as usual,” Emerald mumbled, before backing off the dance floor to the corner.

Alexandrite was definitely the dancing type. In fact, she was here every night, where she met her usual dance partner, Jasper. She just kept sipping on her drink, watching the crew get down as she waited for the orange gem. She chuckled, and Doc could really hear the drink affecting her as she spoke. “Sapphire always said she was too short to dance, but really, I thought she was just a prude. Where are your excuses now? Huh?”

Doc turned to see Sapphire’s face flushed. “I don’t want to. You know how I like my rules!” The blue gem tittered nervously.

“Oh, come on. You only report to your Diamond, and she isn’t here! Let loose, really feel it!” Alex yelled over the music. She felt a light tap on her shoulder, and turned to a Jasper, shouting, “You again? Alright, let’s Tango!” She waved goodbye and her usual dance partner whisked her away.

Jasper twirled her and lead her closer to the DJ booth, where the two of them could feel the music better. "Are you ready? I took a dance class last night and learned a few new tricks." She wasn't bluffing- she pulled her closer and gave her partner a prideful smile. "I think I can try the Charleston again and not fall over."

"What?! You'd better be telling the truth!"

Doc looked back at her friend, rubbing the back of her neck. “Why don’t you want to dance?”

Sapphire pointed at Addie and Bix. “Because that’s what happens when you dance with someone you have an emotional connection with,” She stated.

Bixibite and Adventurine began to glow. Slowly, their bodies began morphing in to one… But they stopped and pulled apart, embarrassed looks on their faces. They would have gotten killed on the spot for fusing.

“Oh,” the little Ruby mumbled. “So how do they know each other? Why are they like that?”

Sapphire started heading for the exit. She sensed all of her friends would be ready to hit the streets soon. “Bixibite is the top fashion model in the entire star system, maybe even the galaxy. Obviously, people go crazy over celebrities and try to kill them. So one day, Alexandrite hired an Adventurine to guard Bix at all times. Since they weren’t allowed to separate, they grew fond of each other and have been like this ever since.”

Doc quirked an eyebrow. “But isn’t that weird? And wrong?”

“Be that as it may, but nobody’s caught on. They never will, so why judge them if it isn’t hurting us?”

Well, she did have a point.

“Woo! Okay, I’m danced out,” Alexandrite stumbled out of the crowd, panting. “I’m exhausted. Jasper learned how to swing dance, and now I’m REALLY being tossed around.”

Upon seeing her group gather at the door, Emerald broke in to a sprint to catch up. “Yo, what’s the deal? Is the fun over so soon?”

Soon, the others followed, toting more glasses of the intoxicating drink.

“Lol, I’m hammered,” Bixibite slurred, stumbling towards the door.

Addventurine lifted her off her feet, carrying her the rest of the way. “Not until… What’s the expression?” She asked, obviously just as incapacitated as her friend. “Not until I hammer you.”

Sapphire chuckled nervously. “Okay! It’s clearly time to get you two out of here.” She pushed the largest of the lot- Addy- out the door, and the rest of the herd followed.

“So what now?”

“Well,” Emerald chimed, “We’ve only used up three percent of our down time, since that trip was cut short. We could go to the park and look at the stars,” she suggested, and everyone seemed to agree.

\----

It’s been ages since Sapphire’s taken the time to stargaze. She always had other things she wanted to do, or duties she had to perform. She forgot what the sky looked like when the bright stars had set. It looked as if the night was simply a black sheet covered in gem shards. She liked seeing things the simple way, and she wished she really did believe they were just rocks laying in the sky. In reality, each star had planets, and Sapphire knew the language and culture of each one. She knew all the conflicts and all the wars they’ve fought. She remembered every time one of them rebelled against their Diamond overlords. 

Sapphire wanted to make peace between everyone. She wanted to be a diplomat, a translator. A savior. But she was a Sapphire, and she had a role to play. Being just a Sapphire filled her with an empty, rock-bottom feeling that went away when the Ruby lying next to her was near. Ruby gave her hope- maybe because neither of them had a real purpose.

The blue gem needed to tell her that. Doc needed to know just how precious and wonderful she was. However, when she opened her mouth to speak, Bixibite cut her off.

“It’s Halite the Reject! Run!”

The group scrambled to their feet as a white gem approached them. She looked afraid. Ruby wondered if the legends were true, and if Halite really could destroy a gem with one fell swoop, but before she could fight her and find out, Sapphire had yanked her to her feet and back a few feet.

“Throw rocks at it or something! Don’t let it touch you!” Emmy growled, picking up a few bricks from a trash pile nearby.

“Wait, I can’t actually-“ Halite started. But it was too late- a brick hit her head, and she poofed in an instant.

“Whew,” Bixibite sighed. “That was close. She could’ve gotten us that time.”

Alexandrite kicked off her heels and pulled out her Book. “I’m calling the ship driver. Let’s get out of here before she reforms.”

And that was the beginning of the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please stop saying “please continue” or “cute story.” (AO3 readers: I know nobody has commented here yet. This comment is directed towards FF.Net reviewers.) I would really appreciate actual criticism, as I want to improve my writing. Thank you!
> 
> EDIT (5/18/17): I've gotten some quite helpful criticism that things move too fast in this story, so I've pinpointed a few moments in this chapter (which felt rushed) and decided to elaborate on them. This chapter was also full of plotholes, and I have only the fact that this was written in a day to blame for that. I'll be fixing those too. I'm not sure if it'll make it more worth the read, but I hope it does!


	4. Flexibility, Bubblebath and Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doc and Sapphire spend some time talking, and they're interrupted by a strange gem they've never met.

“Dude… I’m floating!”

“I’m floating too! Whee!”

“I’m gonna hurl.”

“Little low-carat Ruby can’t hold down her juice.”

Sapphire clenched her fists. Her drunk friends were staring to get just a little- well, a lot- annoying. “Well, it came from Earth, so I guess we’ll call it what they do. Wine,” She answered, leaning over to the driver. “Hurry up. I just want you to get these guys home. I’m so tired of them.”

A citrine, eyes baggy from staring at the driver’s screen too long, leaned back. “You and I both,” She sighed, getting back to work. Unfortunately, if they warped space, they would miss every turn and end up somewhere they didn’t want to be, so Citrine was stuck with the drunken antics of the Elitez.

One by one, Sapphire watched as gems stumbled out of her ship and in to their mansions, feeling a lot better when there was just one drunk left to deal with. “Doc, please tell me you’re mostly sober.”

“I can think straight, if that’s what you mean. My head’s just swimming a little,” the Ruby answered from her seat. “How do you make it go away?”

The aristocrat floated her way through the ship, and made sure Ruby was buckled in before strapping herself in. She saw the ship crash sometime in the near future- would that be this time? She bit her lip and did her best to stay calm when she answered, “You only have to be patient, and it’ll go away on its own.”

“Oh,” Doc grumbled. “I don’t like it.”

“I know you don’t. But what’s a hangover in the face of eternity?”

The ship, surprisingly, didn’t crash when it landed by Sapphire’s mansion. Sapphire was bewildered, but she wasn’t one to look the gift-horse in the mouth. After giving her driver a generous tip, Sapphire moved on her way to her royal bedchambers, Doc in tow.

“So… What now?” the Ruby asked, perching herself on the edge of Sapphire’s bed. Beds, as well as a lot of other Earth furnishings, were a sign of wealth. If you could afford to throw money on an Earth novelty you’d never use, you were rich.

“I have an idea. Come in here with me,” Sapphire responded, opening the door to the bathroom.

Doc’s seen one of those once, but it’s been ages. “Isn’t this where organic beings spend like, half of their lives? The think chamber, right?” She walked in, her eyes roaming around the porcelain and gold trimmed features.

“Sort of,” Sapphire answered, pouring a mix of pink and blue in to the tub and running the water. “Want to soak with me? It’s rather relaxing, at least I think so.” She pulled off her gloves then, and the look she got in return was nothing short of hilarious.

“Wh- what are you doing? You know the rules-“

“Shh. It isn’t what you think.” Sapphire cut in. “Do you trust me?” She asked, sweeping her bangs to the side, looking in to Doc’s eyes.

The red gem trusted her with every fiber of her being. And being with her- as she thought that’s what was happening- didn’t seem like such a bad idea. “I do,” she answered with a smile.

That was all it took for the aristocrat to unzip the back of her dress, and let it fall at her feet. “Undress for me, and get in,” she said. She stepped in to the tub, sat down, and turned off the water.

Doc struggled to find the zipper on her newest ensemble, and after a minute of searching, she just decided to phase it off instead. “So I just… Get in the water?” She asked, sticking her foot in. It was warm, and didn’t seem so bad, so she stepped in all the way and sank to the bottom. “Now what?” She asked.

Sapphire shrugged. “We do whatever we want. Relax, talk, sleep.”

“How about… Nothing?” Doc asked, leaning her back against the tub. 

She shut her eyes, and for a moment, every worry in her life evaporated. The cold water from Sapphire’s side was even better. Knowing the blue gem was there next to her did so much more to calm her nerves. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” She said nonchalantly, “I really enjoy our time together. I never thought I’d have a friend like you.”

Sapphire brought her knees to her chest. “I appreciate you being here too. Ever since Era 2 began, my Diamond hasn’t had enough time for me. It makes a world of difference,” she said.

Doc cracked an eye open when her friend fell silent. Tears streamed down Sapphire’s face, and out of habit, she moved a little closer to comfort her. Her companion often stubbed toes and got upset over little things, but she’d never seen her strong willed Sapphire cry. “Whoa, what’s wrong?” she asked, moving her bangs out of the way.

For the first time in her existence, she looked in to a Sapphire’s eye. Their eyes were said to capture their victims, like a siren captures a meal. Those who stared too long would become ensnared by her beauty, and would likely end up seeing futures in their dreams. This is why Sapphires covered their eyes.

“I just really mean it. I’ve never felt more alone until I met you.” Sapphire answered. She kissed the palm of the gem wiping her tears away, then gazed back in to her eyes.

Really seeing each other eye to eye- literally- was the start of a chain reaction, it seemed. After the aristocrat removed her lips from her best friend’s hand, Doc swept her in to a sudden, deep kiss. After the initial shock wore off, she closed her eyes and kissed back.

“I never-“ Doc started, almost getting cut off by a cold tongue invading her mouth. “I never knew this felt so good.” She pulled the other gem in to her lap and deepened the kiss then, and held Sapphire tighter than she ever thought possible.

“That was amazing.”

The voice didn’t come from Sapphire. It didn’t come from any gem she recognized, but at the same time, it had also come from her own mouth. She opened her eyes, only to find that she opened Sapphire’s too, and looked down at her feet.

“Am I… Am I a Garnet now?” The strange voice asked. “Are we fused?” But then she began to laugh. “It feels so good being a part of you! I can feel you all around me… I love it. I love you.”

She hugged herself tightly before standing up to look at herself in the mirror. The two of them together were definitely too tall for Sapphire’s bathroom, because the fusion’s hair hit the ceiling and she could only see her neck down in their reflection. But then she sat on the stool in front of the vanity and began inspecting herself.

The fusion was much more Sapphire than Ruby, in contrast to the infamous Earth Garnet. She stroked her long, wet hair, and wondered just what shade of purple it really was when it was dry. Their dry, calloused hands smoothed over soft curves before making their way up to cup her face. Garnet felt more attractive than the two of them combined- or maybe that was just Doc loving the way she brought out her friend’s beauty when they were fused. Their eyes- one blue, one red, and one the purple of Sapphire’s favorite nebula (which Doc just learned about now that she shared Sapphire’s mind)- flitted across the looking glass, taking in her new form.

“This is… Wow.” Garnet couldn’t say much more before a flash of light invaded her sight.

“Fusions are freaks of nature! You shouldn’t even fuse with gems of another kind for war, much less for recreation! What do you have to say for yourself, Sapphire?”

Garnet watched in horror as a Holly Blue Agate pushed her foot in to her back and forced her to kneel. The poor gem’s hands were bound, and finally, she looked up at the gem Sapphire had to answer to. Blue Diamond herself sat on her throne, a poofed Ruby in her hand.

“It was all my idea,” Sapphire admitted. “I was bored. I wanted company and I took things too far with her. It’s my fault. Please, she’s innocent!”

Holly Blue kicked her side. “She’s done more than fuse with the Ruby, I assure you. Her Pearl told me so! She’s not even close to sorry- Pearl even said Sapphire called her ‘Red Diamond.’”

“False idols? Fusion? Oh my word.” The giant Diamond pinched the bridge of her nose with her empty hand. “I’ve put up with your antics, and your fascination with hideous, organic life forms. But this? This is inexcusable, and you’ve committed three felonies. Well, since Ruby is a member of Yellow’s court, Yellow will punish her as she sees fit. As for you…”

“Don’t hurt her! Please, shatter me in her place.”

“Shut your mouth!” The Diamond boomed, leaning out of her seat. It seemed as if her face was hovering closer and closer to Garnet, until the image dissipated like smoke.

Garnet was back in the bathroom, shivering and clutching herself tightly. It had all just been a vision. “I don’t want them to shatter you,” she murmured, rocking in her seat. “I love you. I love you. I won’t let them do it,” she continued, reassuring herself that the two gems that made her would never face this future.

Since the fusion wasn’t stable, they fell apart as soon as Garnet calmed down. That left Doc and Sapphire on opposite sides of the marble floor, silently staring each other down.

“I didn’t mean for you to see that,” Sapphire said, hanging her head. The temperature in the room dropped, and so did her mood.

The chill didn’t bother Doc- except for the feeling of the cold stone underneath her wet behind. She shook her head and moved closer to the source of the cold. “I wanted to. I know you see bad futures like that all the time, and I’m glad I saw it. I want to see more- I don’t want you to just hold it all in.”

Sapphire took a deep breath she didn’t know she needed, but tears started to spill from her eye again. “That’s not the point! We’re in danger,” She cried.

“Relax. Sapphy, we can fire Pearl so she never sees anything, and then we can make it look like you sort of dislike me in public. That way, no one will know.”

“How do you always come up with good ideas?”

\-----

Sapphire’s pearl lugged her box of belongings down a long road. It’s been a long night, and she was pretty sure with her luck, she’d end up hit by a hovercar.

“Stupid Sapphire, stupid, stupid blue priss…”

“Hello,” said a voice behind her, and Sapphire’s Pearl whipped around to meet the gaze of Blue Diamond’s Pearl. “Would you like any help with your things?”

Sapphire’s Pearl nodded vigorously. “Yes please.”

“Alright. I assume you were headed to The Clam since it’s only a few blocks away. Would you like to carry it there with me?” Blue Pearl asked, a smile with sincerity the other hadn’t seen in ages.

The other Pearl nodded again. “Thank you. It’s good to see you again, Blue Diamond.”

“You as well, Sapphire.”

“I lost my job, I no longer have a master. Just call me Pearl.”

Inside the Clam, Sapphire’s Pearl clenched her fists and slammed them in to the table she and her old friend were sitting at. “I swear, there’s something going on! She used to want me there all the time, but now she could care less. She even fired me!”

“I personally am glad such a high member of society can do things by herself now. It’s just a step closer to Pearl independence,” Blue Pearl admits with a shrug. “If I were you, I’d get a job here. You can spend more time with your own kind, wouldn’t that be nice?”

The ownerless Pearl slumped back in her seat. “No, it wouldn’t. I was designed and made to serve her, and I’ll take no alternatives. That stupid Ruby’s taken my place. If Sapphire hadn’t spent so much time with her, I’d still be there by her side, carrying her shopping bags, even painting her nails! It’s not fair !”

Blue Diamond’s Pearl raised an eyebrow. “Spending too much time with a Ruby? I’d encourage you to go get footage of the two of them doing anything suspicious, just in case. If they commit any crimes, come tell me, and I’ll tell my Diamond so we can get it sorted out.”

“Thank you,” the darker Pearl said, still a little tense. “I’ll go back to watch them, and I’ll call you if anything seems off. You’re a good friend.”

Blue Pearl hugged her just as their food arrived, and shooed her off. “Go on and get it before day comes and they go off somewhere else. I can eat all this space-goat milk by myself.” She then dug a spoon in to the thick curds, and took a bite.


	5. The Night We Changed Our Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doc finds her purpose; she and Sapphire bond just a little bit more. Mild smut ahead, but the Insatiable Steven Universe Fandom loves that, so I don't see why I should apologize. This is actually very short, because I had to edit out a huge chunk with the rating in mind.

Sapphire’s private moon was rather small when Doc thought about it. It circled around Sapphire’s colony, Omicron 1, a desolate wasteland of lizard-people and empty kindergartens. The planet in itself was small. It’s first four stars were small, and just pinpricks in the planet’s sky. It was never dark there, but she supposed it would be more interesting if it was. Little isn’t interesting, she figured, since she was little too, and she was Omicron 1 to the rest of the galaxy as Omicron 1 was to her.

The first time she brought this up to Sapphire, the blue gem stroked her chin in thought. “Maybe you feel small because you’ve seen too much of the universe,” She concluded, sitting sideways with her legs and head hanging off the arms of her throne in what seemed to be the most uncomfortable position.

“But maybe,” the red gem added, “It’s more like I’m unnoticed. I’m just a Ruby, you know. We’re all so versatile- we can operate ships, we’re strong enough for manual labor, we’re attentive guards… People see the average working gem when they look at me, and maybe I just want to be looked at a little deeper. You know? I want to have an official purpose.”

Sapphire hummed in agreement, nodding her head. “People look at me and see a Sapphire. That’s all I am, ever since they stopped using me for futurevision. Angel Auras have that now, and they’re much cheaper to produce. I suppose we’re in the same boat.”

Ever since that first meeting, it’s been thirty rotations of Sapphire’s moon, and a lot transpired between them. Doc knew about all of Sapphire’s linguistic studies, and all about the gem she really wanted to be. It was safe to say she knew the answer Sapphire was looking for with this. “But we don’t need cheaper. Your futures are more accurate, and you deserve to have a purpose and a use.”

“What if I don’t want to see the future all my life? What if I want something else?”

Ruby blinked, cocking her head to the side. “But you were made for that. You can’t change your purpose.”

Sapphire lowered her head. “I suppose you’re right. But if you want to learn more about yourself and what the Rubies before you were used for, I have a way to help.” She bit her lip, twiddling her thumbs from fear. “Do you promise not to tell anyone?”

Doc nodded. Ever since that night in the bath, she’s pretty sure they don’t need to fear each other any longer. “You can tell me anything.”

“I have a library,” Sapphire uttered. Books, real paper and binding, had been banned for centuries. If anyone found out, Sapphire would be shattered, and all the books would be lost.

The Ruby sitting across from her was too young to understand, thankfully. She raised an eyebrow, her lips pursed. “What’s that?”

“I’ll show you. Do you trust me?” Sapphire asked, standing up and holding a hand out to her friend.

Tentatively, the red gem took it, never taking her eyes off of Sapphire. They weaved through hallways, each one branching off in to another and all of them growing dimmer the further they got from the throne room. It made Ruby a little tense the way the halls seemed to narrow, and how she had to walk behind the aristocrat with her sides pressed against cold marble walls.

“We’re here,” said a soft voice. Following that was a jangling of a key finding a lock, and then there was light as Sapphire flipped a switch.

Lantern light filled the large room, and illuminated rows upon rows of shelves. All of them were filled with dusty hardcover books, and some were even piled up on the ground.

Ruby raised an eyebrow, however. “What are these things?” she asked, picking up The Moby Dick and flipping through it. Dust spat out at her and she dropped it, coughing. “It attacked me with destabilizing gas! Sapphire, help!”

The blue gem took her hands in an attempt to calm her down, giggling. “That’s just dust, it means the book hasn’t been used in a while.”

“But that isn’t a Book, this is.” Ruby’s hand dug in to her pocket to pull out her Book. “See?”

“But these are the original books. They hold information about the universe around us, and stories of gems who really truly lived. I saved these when the Diamonds burnt down the Grande Library after the war. I just didn’t want the memories of those before us to disappear.”

“There used to be another one of these rooms before the war?”

Sapphire nodded. “Yes, but a lot of these came from other libraries across the galaxies. I picked a lot of these books up, like the one that just ‘assaulted’ you, on trips to other planets. Honestly, the ones from Earth were the weirdest. They have different languages and dialects and I had to learn a lot of them before I could start reading.”

“Uh huh,” Ruby mumbled, her attention taken by a thick book in the corner. “What’s this?” The golden pages and leather cover caught her eye.

“That’s a sacred Earth text, called the Law. It’s the basis of all Earth rules and a foundation that most humans live by. It’s rather strange, I think.” Sapphire floats over to her to remove the delicate book, and replace it with another. “This is an encyclopedia of Rubies. You’re bound to find something about yourself in here!”

Doc opened up the front cover. “The Book of Ruby. Alright, let’s give this a try!” She exclaimed, turning to the first page. “Rubies are a red variant of Sapphires. Since both are made of the mineral corundum, they are both similar in stature and behaviors.” She turned to look at her friend, who had her nose (or lack thereof) buried in something by J.K. Rowling- whatever name for a gem that was.

Doc turned the page, and kept reading. “Rubies were made the opposite of the other corundum. While Sapphires produce ice and visions of the future, Rubies can summon fire and have exceptional memories. This is why Rubies might be good at a Sunstone’s job at preserving historical events.

“Rubies are talented fighters. Because of their above average stamina, they can last hours in a fight. They also absorb blows and their gems will not crack as easily, just like the blue variant of corundum.”

This was the first time she noticed how similar they were. Both were the same height, and same shape, and for the first time, she realized that both of them were struggling to find their purpose in a world that didn’t need them. Maybe it was up to a gem to figure that out for herself, instead of waiting for a Diamond to assign her destiny. Maybe her destiny was to be with Sapphire.

“But Rubies were really made for… For…”

Before she turned the page to find out, Doc shut the book. She didn’t care what she was built for anymore. With feet guided by the spirits of authors that were shattered for their work, Doc ran to the other side of the library to wrap her arms around Sapphire, and she kissed her.

Warm hands gripped at icy hips, tugging and pulling them closer to her own. Blue and red lips melded together in a tango once again, with tongues running across bottom lips and teeth nipping there just to hear the other squeak. It was passion that never died, it was electricity running between them, and it was just as good as the last kiss.

“I love you. I just realized that, and I really, really mean it,” Doc said between kisses, her voice a little muffled by a pair of plump blue lips on her own.

“I love you too. We… We need to figure out how- h-how to keep this a secret,” Sapphire panted as Doc pulled her closer. Her knees felt like jelly, so she clung to her partner tighter for support.

The red gem backed her against a wall and kissed her harder. “We’ll figure that out later. I just want to kiss you.”

“Ah… nnn! Doc,” Sapphire squeaked, as Doc finally broke the kiss to leave marks down her neck. Sapphire couldn’t take it any longer, and she tugged the other gem towards the door. “Take me to my sleeping quarters. It’ll be more comfortable in there.”

Doc nuzzled the side of her neck, and smiled. “Don’t you want to kiss in here? This place is you. It means everything to you, and it makes it really romantic.”

There was a glimmer of something in Sapphire’s eye as she kissed Doc again. “Well, if you insist.” She planted another one on her lips before mumbling, “I can’t imagine my life without you.”

“Me neither,” Doc answered, lifting her companion on to a table, and resuming the kiss from there. “Who knew? The rebels were right the whole time… Love really does exist. I love you.” 

As she climbed on to the table to straddle Sapphire, the aristocrat’s dress fell open and she parted her thighs. The gentle smile on her face said it all.

Doc’s hair smoked, and she leaned in to kiss her again. “Are you sure you’re ready to…?”

“Yes. You’re all I want.”

Gems were made to fall in love. They were built to show affection. They were meant to breed and create hybrids and raise families. But with the creation of kindergartens millions of years ago, why do it the slower way? Since they were on the rise and since pregnant gems were never able to work or join armies, all romantic affairs were banned. If anyone saw them like this, they were sure to end up in the Breaker.

Sapphire’s Pearl, who was watching from the keyhole, knew just that. They were about to find out what happens when you fire a jealous Pearl.


	6. I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doc and Sapphire get found out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never forget to keep an open mind about love, life, and your future. You’ll find yourself surprised if you go with the flow. Bonus QnA at the end.

Starlight poured in to Alexandrite’s shop as the main star finally rose again. The warmth from it was greatly appreciated as she set up shop. She hated sweaters, but she had to wear one since the night had been so chilly. She smiled as she finally shed it, and as she was packing it up underneath her desk, she heard the door swing open. “Welcome to Alexandrite facet 48a’s shop! How may I help- My Diamond!”

There, in all her glory, was Blue Diamond. She wore a relaxed smile, the kind that was unusual for her since she spent her days weeping over her shattered sister. The massive queen could hardly get her head in the door, though. She managed to keep the door open with her finger, and only her face was visible from the opening. “Hello,” she greeted with a smile. “My legs hurt from kneeling, and my backside is pressed against the courthouse, so may we make this quick?”

Alexandrite nodded furiously. “Why ask me for permission to help, your grace? I would be honored to serve you. What do you need?”

“I need your help locating my Sapphire. She’s in quite a deal of trouble, and now she’s running. She’s with you often, so I suspect you might know where she went?” Blue asked, all the while ignoring the gems on the street as they either bowed to her or tried to push her out of the way.

“No, I haven’t. Why, what did she do?” Alexandrite asked.

Blue Diamond sighed. “I see. Well, it seems she and a Ruby have developed unnatural feelings for one another, and must be separated before they go goo-goo eyed and try to deviate from their places in the caste.”

There was an uncomfortable silence between them before Alexandrite turned a nervous purple. “Regardless, I don’t know where they are. Check Moonga’s, maybe they went dancing.” She gulped, and she found herself biting her lip too hard. 

“I see. I’ll head there next.” Blue reached in to rub the smaller gem’s head affectionately, then stood up from her crouch in front of the shop.

Alexandrite gasped and pulled out her Book, immediately dialing her best friend’s number. After waiting and waiting for her to pick up, she screeched, “Sapphire! You need to run. Blue Diamond is after you. She- she said-”

On the other end, Sapphire was frantically babbling in to her own Book. “I know, I know! We were- we did the- and my Pearl saw. We’re at Bix and Addy’s place, please don’t let her find us.”

The fashionista had planned to reassure her friends that they were safe… But a Holly Blue Agate in the fitting room that Blue Diamond sent in as a spy had another idea.

\-----

“No. Nonono. This isn’t good. I heard Alexandrite screaming. They’re going to find us,” Sapphire panicked, her hands tangled in her hair. She had a bad habit of pulling it when she was nervous.

Doc took her hands. “Then we need to move. I have a plan… There’s a Panna concert tonight- if we can get in, we can sneak around where it’s dark.”

“But how is that going to help?” Sapphire asked- but then, she remembered she had futurevision. “Wait. We’re going to hide there because my Diamond is hot on our trail. We’ll shake her off there in the crowds, then get to the parking deck to steal a ship since mine is being tracked.”

Doc blinked harshly, shaking her head. “How did you- Oh. Futurevision. Anyways,” she continued on, turning to Adventurine and Bixibite, who had been watching the whole thing unfold. “Thank you so much for taking us in. Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”

Addy shook her head. “No thank you. We have a lot to lose… Status, wealth, the lot. We appreciate the offer, but we can keep our relationship hidden.” She ruffled the little Ruby’s hair. “We wish you luck, though.”

Bixibite, on the other hand, was a weepy mess. She managed to wrap Sapphire up in a death grip. “Sapphy, please don’t go! We love you! I’m sure if you just apologized it would all be okay.”

Sapphire ignored the tears seeping in to her hair. “But it wouldn’t be. They’d shatter Doc, and a world without my Red Diamond is a world I couldn’t exist in.”

Adventurine placed her huge, beefy hand on tiny Sapphire’s shoulder. “I want to help. Bix can be lookout, Emerald can be a distraction, and I’m the muscle.”

Bixibite took her partner’s hand. “I agree. Just remember, Sapph, wherever you go, the two of us will always be with you.”

\----

Alexandrite sat in a dimly lit room, her hands and ankles tied to a chair. There was a bag on her head. If she could see where she was, maybe she could use her surroundings to her advantage. She’s escaped situations like this before- after leaving her drinks unattended at Moonga’s too often- and she knew exactly which objects were good at loosening ropes, and which were good for creating distractions.

When the bag came off and she could see the room around her, she almost felt hopeful. She could scoot back to the lead pipes and slam her head in to them, letting out massive amounts of steam. There was also a window to escape through. She was not, however, expecting the crackle of electricity and the sharp pain in her stomach.

“Fuck!” She spat, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists.

“Alexandrite, dearest,” came Blue Diamond’s calm voice. “I trusted you. Now, I’m going to ask you a simple question, where are they going?”

When Blue was met with silence, she gave her Agate henchman a nod. The blue gem raised the electric tool to her throat, and suddenly Alexandrite was reeling again. This one didn’t stop until she felt her eyes roll to the back of her head.

Panting, the weakened designer mumbled, “I would never…” she coughed, “let any harm come to her.”

That wasn’t the desired answer. Again, she was shocked until she was at the brink of poofing, and again, Blue Diamond asked her. “I would hate to destroy the Main Planet’s top designer. If you won’t tell me where she is, tell me who else could have answers.”

“Nobody. Trust me, Sapphire wouldn’t do anything wrong.” Again, Agate shocked her. A scream tore from her throat, and she was left with her head hanging off the back of her seat.

“You said in front of Agate this morning that she was with an Adventurine and a Bixibite. What are her connections with them?” Blue asked. “Oh, and Agate, turn up the voltage.”

Alexandrite went wide eyed. “Wait! Ruby and Sapphire just have so much in common with those two that asking them for help only seemed natu- oh no.” After realizing she said too much, she looked away and refused to say any more.

“Well, that’s a start. I can reward you if you tell us more. Where are they planning to go?”

“I hope you’re shattered in to a million pieces,” Alexandrite growled. “Just leave them be. You’re just afraid of everything returning to the way it should be. That shows how pathetic of a leader you really are.” She scoffed. She knew where this would get her, so with a devilish look on her face, she prattled on. “You had to ruin lives just to keep yourself and Yellow Diamond in control. One day, they’ll all know who you really are. They’ll choose their own destiny, they-“

Clink! In an instant, there were pieces of her gem on the floor. They couldn’t get any information from her if she didn’t exist.

“My Diamond, there’s another three gems on this list. An Emerald, a Bixibite, and an Adventurine.”

“Check Bixibite’s Flitter- every time she Fleets, it posts her location. Chasing the other two would be a big mistake, they are bound to put up a fight.” Blue Diamond ordered.

\-----

“Hello! Welcome to the show. We’re Panna. I’m Spessartite, and these are my girls Hessonite and Sphalerite. We’re here to paint this planet red!”

The music started, and soon the dancing, the cheers, and the dim lighting did a good job of covering the lovebirds. They were still stooped over, ducking and making sure their faces weren’t seen. The two held hands, squeezing each other tightly. These could be their last moments together, and there was so much that they wanted to say; but if they stopped running, even for a moment, they’d be dead.

The screaming continued, and Doc could barely hear her lover when she whispered in her ear. “This is the perfect shortcut. The parking bay is full of thousands of ships, we just need to pick one before Blue finds us, and we’re home free.”

“I trust you,” Doc whispered back. She waited until her beautiful blue gem turned to keep moving, and she kissed the princess-cut gem on the small of her back. “I love you, forever and always. No matter what happens, they can’t ever erase how I feel about you.”

Sapphire had to wipe a tear that threatened to fall in her mouth (which was undoubtedly the worst part of being a cyclops.), but otherwise, she didn’t acknowledge the statement. She kept crawling along the bleachers, towards the emergency exit.

Sapphire didn’t know how they’d get past the blaring alarms, until she saw a friendly face tampering with wires nearby. Emerald was the perfect dark shade of green, and she blended in with the walls so easily. Despite looking so butch, brains and brawn can go together, and that was proven when the green beryl cut the wires at the precise location to not set off the alarms. She gave the two a thumbs up before scurrying off. Bixibite or Adventurine must have told her the plan.

Gems all around them began pulling out lighters to wave to the music. Uh oh. This amount of light would surely blow their cover.

Sapphire bit her lip. “We need to run. If we shoot across quickly, I have a feeling nobody will notice,” she strategized. “On three. One… two…”

On the other end of the concert hall, Blue Diamond gracefully swept her way through the crowd. Though the sea of gems parted for her, Panna didn’t miss a beat. They were used to playing for the two Diamonds, after all, since they were the biggest band on the planet.

Blue spotted Addy’s partner Bixibite in the VIP section, and tapped her on the head. “You know what I’m going to ask,” Blue hissed, grabbing the model by her ponytail and lifting her in the air. Hundreds of gems screamed her name, wondering what in Geopia’s name she was doing there, and Blue Diamond ignored them all.

“What are you talking abo- Ah! My hair!”

Blue Diamond looked at the pink gem curiously. “You know what I’m talking about,” She hissed, grabbing Bixibite’s chin. “Sapphire. Where is she? I can pardon your sins if you help me. If not, we can torture Adventurine for answers. Maybe I’ll throw her gem in the Breaker for good measure.”

The model’s eyes widened. Blue didn’t know. She possibly couldn’t have known. But the risk of destroying her beloved Addy was too great, and she broke. “That way,” she said, this time pointing to the emergency exit.

\----

“They can’t taunt me anymore, Halite. I’m done, Halite. Take the ship and crash it, Halite! That’s the only way you’ll shatter your enemies!”

Chaotic laughter filled the worn down ship. Halite had no idea who it belonged to, and she didn’t care. It was the only one left unlocked in this area of the parking bay.

“Crash it in to the stage! Kill the band! Start a fire,” the white gem babbled. “You’re not supposed to exist. If I can’t, you can’t,” she said. “They’re going to burn. Burn!”

She unfurled her knees from her chest, stood up, and started toying with the buttons. “I think this starts it…” Sure enough, the ship began to rumble.

Before she could take off, the doors swung open and she leapt in to the emergency escape to hide.

“Thank goodness. Now where to?” Sapphire asked, taking control of the ship.

“Earth,” Doc replied, placing her hands on the driver’s hips and kissing the side of her neck. “It’s the only free place left in this cluster of galaxies. We should be safe to hide there for a while until the cluster blows up. Until then, mind if I distract the driver?”

“But I need to program the coordinates in to-oh!” Sapphire reached up to rub the sore bite mark on her neck. “Blue Diamond will be here in a…” She trailed off as a pair of hands rested on her hips. She managed to get the coordinates in, but not without gasping a little too loudly.

Just seconds before the clairvoyant suspected they’d show up, Blue Diamond and a fleet of Agates surrounded the ship. It was too late, however, and the vehicle blew exhaust in her face.

“No! Agates, deliver a message to Yellow. Tell her to lock down every building. Nobody goes anywhere until we contain this rebellion and put things exactly how they were before!” Blue Diamond stomped her foot, glaring in the same direction the ship took off in.

Back in the ship, Sapphire slumped back against her partner. If gems could faint, she surely would have from the pressure. “Okay, we’re alive, and autopilot is set for Earth.”

Doc held the weakened Sapphire, supporting her with one hand and stroking her hair with the other. “You’ll like Earth. It’s changed so much since last time you were there. Humans are friendly- at least in the Beach City area. They have new foods too, like donuts.”

Sapphire rested her eyes, letting her precious stone comb her hair. “Hmm… That sounds nice. I want to stay there with you.”

The red gem slid to the floor to help her lover lay down. “The best part is, you can love whoever you want.” She smiled softly as she watched Sapphire close her eyes. “Now get some rest, you went through a lot and you need it.”

Sapphire couldn’t sleep, however. Something seemed off about the escape pod in the corner. Starlight pulsed in and out of the ship as they passed by star after star- and by the fourth time it happened, Sapphire was sure she saw a face peering at them from the pod. “Wait. That’s- what is that?” she asked, dazed and trying to shake off the sleepy feeling.

“I could ask you two what you’re doing here too,” the face said.

Sapphire, shaken up and still a tad too weak to stand peered over to the escape pod. Light flooded the ship, and she got a fleeting glance of Halite. “It’s Halite!” She screeched, scrambling to her feet. “Quick, shoot out the escape pod!” She directed her attention to Halite, and for the first time in her life, someone actually spoke directly to the gem. “You’re deplorable, following us in to our ship like that!”

That seemed to make her mad. “I don’t understand. Just because I’m not a real gem, you think I’m some sort of disgusting monster. You were the ones that followed me in here, but fine, shoot me off in to space. I wasn’t trying to get away from Geopia anyways.”

But her speech was lost on the two as Doc searched for the eject button. “Is it this one? No, that started up the lights. What about this one?”

She pressed a button, and the radio started up. “This is Blue Diamond, to the entire galaxy. Two gems have gone AWOL- Sapphire, and Ruby facet 2yb cut 8. Bring them to the mainland courthouse, and you are guaranteed immunity for any crime, plus two million coins and recognition as a galactic hero. Thank you for listening to this emergency broadcast.”

The three of them were so stunned that Ruby forgot to keep searching for the eject button.

“You two are the rebels? Oh, this is rich. Who’s the monster now?” Halite cackled, falling back in to the pod’s seat. “All I wanted to do was kill Spessartite for spitting on me! But you?” Her laughter finally died down to a giggle and she sputtered, “You’re a pair of old-world defects. Who could possibly enjoy something so disgusting? Even I know what you did, and I’m an uneducated fool! Oh, oh! Was it like this, or like this?” 

She continued jesting in the gross, messed up way that only she could pull off. She jammed her index finger in to a hole forged by the fingers on her other hand, then made another hole and bumped them together. “Or maybe-“ she almost pressed her two index fingers together, but Doc had enough and cut her off.

“Out you go!” Honestly, Ruby didn’t blame the white gem for her erroneous behavior. If she were an accident and shunned even by Pearls, she would go insane as well. Still, if the rumors were true and every gem she touches gets diseased or shatters, she wasn’t willing to take any chances.

But before she could hit the button obviously reading “escape pod” that she missed earlier, there was a hard thump under them and the ship shook from the impact.

They made it to Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q: Why does it seem like you make large time jumps or skips, or omit certain parts?
> 
> A: I’m afraid of getting redundant and droll. I want to show you the important pieces and moments, and I don’t want to drag out my chapters for too long. Showing you Sapphire’s Pearl whispering to Blue Pearl who told Blue Diamond about Doc and Sapphire wouldn’t be necessary, because you know it happened. Other scenes might be omitted because of their content; For example, I cut out the smut at the end of chapter 5 because I don’t want to change the story’s rating again. (I didn’t originally intend for the characters to have genitals or be able to do that at all actually, but the two of them need to do certain things in order to take my story where I want it.) Certain omitted scenes might be available on my AO3 at a later date, under the same username.
> 
> Q: Okay, so what the heck is with the gemitals? How do they…? I can’t get in to the story, because you say they don’t show, then they’re there when Doc and Sapphire need them.
> 
> A: Long story short, they’re like the tentabulges and nooks from Homestuck, and they’re usually hidden inside the body until two gems with a strong bond want to- well, you get the point. They can be shapeshifted over to appeal to other species a gem might fall for (i.e. Rose Quartz.)
> 
> Q: Why do you write STAR instead of SUN?
> 
> A: Our sun is the only star in the universe named the Sun, because we named it that. None of the gems name the stars they orbit around, so they’re just called stars. Most of the planets have two or three stars in the daytime sky, which is why it takes so long for night to come and why night is so long. Sapphire’s personal moon had seven stars, and night never came there. This is why there’s also no universal time in Geopia’s colonies.
> 
> Q: If all intimate acts and fusion are banned and all research books are banned, then how do any of the gems know what they’re doing in the moment?
> 
> A: Some gems, like Sapphire, are older than others and remember a time when gems had these freedoms. Most era 2 gems were never educated about the sort of thing, but word gets around quickly. There still are some gems who never learned- Emerald was supposed to be played out as one of them, but I couldn’t find a way to fit that in.
> 
> Q: How come Homeworld and the colonies all use Earth ideas like drinking booze, partying and fashion if they never visit Earth?
> 
> A: It’s implied that there are thousands of other planets with life out there that Geopia trades with or controls. All of those planets have similar ideas to Earth, they all wear clothes so the fashion idea can spread. And alcohol is so good to every species that it spans across the universe and ends up everywhere.
> 
> Q: What’s left of this story?
> 
> A: How many books did The Hunger Games have?


End file.
